Repeater notes
A repeater serial has its first four digits repeat as the last four — 12341234. There are 9,999 in a run of 99,999,999, one note in 10,001.
The same frequency as a radar, and less of the attention
Choose the first four digits and the last four are forced, so there are 104 = 10,000 repeaters less 00000000, which is never issued. That is 9,999 — the identical count to a radar, for the identical reason.
The two patterns are equally scarce and are not equally famous. A radar is easier to explain to someone who does not collect, which historically gave it the better market. That gap has narrowed, and a repeater and a radar in the same condition now sell for broadly similar money.
The repeater family
| Pattern | Example | In a run | Odds | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binary radar repeater Palindrome and repeater at once, on two digits. | 61166116 | 90 | 1 in 1,111,111 | Major |
| Super repeater A two-digit unit repeated four times. | 12121212 | 99 | 1 in 1,010,101 | Mid-market |
| Repeater First four digits repeat as the last four. | 12341234 | 9,999 | 1 in 10,001 | Entry fancy |
What one is worth
Premiums are added to face value rather than multiplied by it, and they fall away fast with handling — these are uncirculated figures. A folded example keeps well under half of this.
| Pattern | $1 note | $20 note | $100 note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binary radar repeater | $60 – $400 | $130 – $750 | $250 – $1,100 |
| Super repeater | $16 – $90 | $45 – $180 | $140 – $325 |
| Repeater | $4 – $25 | $25 – $65 | $110 – $165 |
Check a serial for collector patterns — the checker tests all 34 patterns at once and reports every one a serial matches, with the odds for each.
Super repeaters
A super repeater is a two-digit unit repeated four times — 12121212. There are 99 per run, which makes it about a hundred times scarcer than a plain repeater and one of the more striking serials to look at. Both facts help the price.
One consequence of the definition worth knowing: every solid is technically a super repeater too, since 77777777 is 77 four times over. The checker reports the strongest label first, so a solid is called a solid — but the 99 figure above counts them, which is why it is 99 rather than 90.
Questions
What is a repeater note?
A repeater has its first four digits repeat as the last four — 12341234. The eight digits are two identical halves.
How rare is a repeater serial number?
The last four digits are fixed by the first four, so there are 10,000 possibilities less 00000000, which is never issued: 9,999 repeaters per run, or one note in 10,001. That is exactly the same frequency as a radar.
What is a super repeater?
A two-digit unit repeated four times, like 12121212. There are 99 per run against 9,999 plain repeaters, so a super repeater is about a hundred times scarcer and priced accordingly.
Is a repeater the same as a radar?
No. A repeater copies the first half — 12341234. A radar reverses it — 12344321. Both occur 9,999 times per run. A serial can satisfy both definitions at once, which is what a binary radar repeater is.
How much is a repeater worth?
A plain repeater sits in the same bracket as a radar: a few dollars to a few tens over face on a $1, more in uncirculated condition and at higher denominations. A super repeater is a different conversation entirely.
Related: radar notes, which reverse the halves instead of repeating them, and binary serials, where the two patterns overlap.